Tuesday, 6 December 2011

Travers-ty of democracy

I've given a couple of interviews to the press about the protest outside a recent Capita-sponsored conference that Barnet council's deputy chief executive Andrew Travers was due to speak at. (I presume he did: we weren't allowed inside to hear for ourselves. We're only residents, after all.)

My main message on why I took part in this protest is that I think it is wrong for the big outsourcing companies, such as Capita, Serco, BT, to have the privileged access to those in local authorities taking the decisions on outsourcing that they get at such events. And that all this is done behind the backs of those most affected by outsourcing: residents and council staff.

This is surely what happened when Andrew Travers went to speak at the conference on 29 November.

I have submitted the following Freedom of Information request to the council today (my first).

Dear Sir or Madam,

I would like to see any information/data that the Council holds in relation to the Capita sponsored conference, "New Models of Service Delivery - Opening Up Local Government Services to New Providers", on 29 November 2011. This includes but is not confined to anything that relates to the appearance of the Deputy Chief Executive Andrew Travers at this event.

In that strange place that Daily Telegraph/Mail readers live in where council employees and civil servants line up outside their door waiting to throw rubbish at them, run them over, insult them, and push drugs at their kids.

Barnet the Guinea Pig

"This model has a sound theoretical basis... [sic] However it is unproven at this scale." Future Shape cabinet report, 3 December 2008

"Nobody has said this is going to be easy, it's a work in progress, some of it will never see the light of day." Barnet council leader Mike Freer, 16 November 2009

"I do not believe Soviet bureaucratic initiatives like One Public Sector, Labour’s Total Place (and Barnet’s Future Shape / Easy Council) ideas are... the way forward."Barnet councillor Mark Shooter, 4 September 2010

“There are... many examples of long-term partnerships where the commitment and enthusiasm of the provider has waned over the duration of the contract. Major... organisations will generally resource extensively during the first year, or two, of a new contract but this level of resourcing diminishes as the contract moves to a more stable business as usual position.”One Barnet Procurement Principles, 1 March 2011

"...there can be little confidence that Barnet has the capability, and perhaps more worryingly the culture, necessary to meet the challenge posed by the letting and management of contracts that, under the One Barnet plan, will be far bigger than anything the Council has previously dealt with." 'London Borough of Barnet: Procurement and Contract Management', Association for Public Service Excellence, March 2012

Fellow sufferers

#SackBrian

Click on the pic for a small sample of the reasons Brian Coleman was sacked on 3 May as London Assembly member for Barnet and Camden

People of the year 2010: John Burgess and Maggi Myland

Almost a couple, because they spend so much time together! Two of Barnet council Unison branch's most dedicated servants (along with Helen Davies but she's probably well enough known!). These people have personal lives as well, and give up a lot to take on the lazy might of Barnet council under the Tories. The picture is of Maggi working the crowd at Barnet Christmas fair.